teaching souls through the written word

For centuries they had been looking for the Messiah, but when He finally came, they killed Him! Why?

Jesus told the truth.

He said, “the world . . . hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil” (John 7:7).

And when Jesus told those of His hometown synagogue about God’s concern for Gentiles, they tried to push Him off a nearby cliff (Luke 4:25-29).

Jesus claimed divinity.

“. . . the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He . . . was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18; see Matthew 26:62-68; John 7:28-30; 8:51-59; 10:30-39).

Jesus violated their Sabbath traditions.

He always observed the Sabbath as prescribed in the Law of Moses, while ignoring the Sabbath traditions of the Pharisees (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; John 5:8-18; 9:13-16).

They were envious of Him.

When Jesus came on the scene, the Jewish leaders no longer had the power and influence over the people they once had. They watched in frustration as the crowds flocked to Jesus instead (Matthew 27:18; John 12:19).

And we?

And there were other reasons they rejected Him. But that was back then. Do people still reject Him? Though maybe not for the same reasons and not in the same ways, but yes, many reject Jesus today.

Many acknowledge Him as a great teacher or mighty prophet, but deny His claims to be the Christ, the Son of God.

One common way we can reject Jesus is to put our agenda ahead of His, keeping busy with the routine of our own day-to-day affairs—in effect shutting Him out. It’s a subtle form of rejection, but it is rejection nonetheless.

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born . . . of God” (John 1:11-13; see John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5).

Why reject the One, the only One, who offers us the greatest privilege of becoming God’s own children?